Healing Wishes
by Nekoise
Summary: An X-Reader/Reader Insert. Your neighbor is a mystery to you, as you rarely see the man even leave his apartment. That is, until one faithful day you fell down some steps and he catches you. The next thing you know, you're pulled into his life, wanting to help him escape into your arms. That is...if he accepts your help!
1. A Bump and a Crash

Healing Wishes Ch.1

A Lithuania X Reader story. My first, so let's go!

You waited by the bus stop for your usual Saturday ride to the super market to get this week's meal. Not that you really needed more food. Living alone meant you bought all your own food and means, but tried to save as much money as possible from work.

Living alone also meant being a little lonely from time to time. At least you lived next door to the nicest guy. You never talked to him, of course. But he always looked so shy, so sad...And a little beat up. You did want to get close, but...

The hissing breaks of public transportation halted the large metal monster next to the designated stop you were waiting at and pulled your head out of the clouds and onto the task at hand; your shopping trip.

Worried about missing the vehicle, you rushed onto the bus, running straight into the man you were just thinking of a moment ago on the stairs up to the isle-way. The force of the clash sent you falling backwards down the stairs.

"W-watch out, miss!"

You braced yourself for the powerful clash of your body against the muddy concrete sidewalk, but you felt something-SomeONE-reach around your waist and twirl somewhat gracefully, gently, and purposefully to break your fall.

"OOF!" Your voices were stating the same thought, the only thought on your mind as you both hit the ground. You and he both faced the sky, in nearly the same pose, except that his arms still embraced you in an awkward hug.

You felt your cheeks flush red once you realized you were uninjured, yet the one who saved you was still holding your unhurt self. He, on the other hand, was groaning quietly in pain beneath you.

You scrambled to your feet and turned to look at the usually sweet face now twisted in pain, the one that saved your fall. It was framed bu his smooth and slightly-too-long-in-a-cute-way chestnut hair that was now coated with mud. His usually wide emerald eyes were clenched shut.

"Ohmygawsh, are you okay!" The first words of an only natural worry for a human being slipped out of your mouth.

"I-I am fine...I mean...I have been hurt worse..." His voice was somewhat weak, and you realized that this was the first time you've experienced the sound of his voice. It was sweet and had a small shaky quality that made you pity the poor boy, and yet wonder what made him so scared. You only just noticed the dark marking around his left eye, a black and blue bruise: the mark of some serious damage.

"O-oh no! Your eye! Was that-!"

"No, no, it is not from you, please don't worry..." Come to think of it, it'd take a lot longer for a bruise like that to form, anyway. He finally sat up, albeit a bit slowly, as he regained his breath.

The bus driver cleared his throat, catching your attention. "You comin' on?" he grumbled his question impatiently with a slightly Hispanic accent. Flustered, you looked between the weak boy who risked-and possibly gained-some serious injury to save you and the annoyed dread-locked bus driver.

"N-no, I-"

"If you say so." He finalized the thought by closing the doors of the bus and driving down his route to the next stop. You looked down at the young brunette who was getting up slowly. Out of reflex, you held out your hand and pulled him up after his hesitant accepting of the courtesy and you helped get him steady.

"Are you...Are you sure you're okay?" Your voice was quiet with worry.

"I-I take much more of a beating..." The thought he was wheezing out trailed off. Your neighbor tested his balance by taking a shaky step forward out of your help, then another, discovering a newly acquired limp.

"N-no, let me help you, it's my fault you fell." And besides, the both of you lived on the third floor. "The elevators are out today. I don't want you to hurt yourself falling down the stairs!" Worry made your voice escalate.

He flinched from the sudden crescendo in volume. "O-okay, miss!"

"My name is _." You more gently informed him.

"Right, Miss _," he corrected himself quickly. "Thank you, Miss _." His formality and politeness surprised you.

You walked to the injured boy and gently used yourself as a crutch as you moved toward the apartment building down the block. "And your name is..?"

His remark was mumbled until you inquired a third time, but even then, his voice was barely audible. "Toris...My name is Toris..."

"Toris...It's nice to meet you." His name sounded actually somewhat silly and you had to stifle a small giggle when he introduced himself.

By the time you made it up to your apartments, the poor excuse for a conversation you were having had died down between the two of you, leaving an uncomfortably awkward silence. Sure, you had several questions to ask the man you just met when you were on your own, but recalling those questions with the boy actually there, made you incredibly nervous, let alone trying to ask the trembling boy.

Wait...Trebling? He was shivering! You only just now noticed the constant shuddering of the boy you were assisting.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

He remained silent, a continued shivering as his response. He looked dazed and was staring off into space, his green orbs filled with terror you couldn't figure out.

"Are you okay?" You repeated your inquiry and this time it was enough to jolt the man back to reality.

"A-ah! Yes, I'm f-fine," he claimed, but his stutter, black eye, and shaking stance betrayed his words.

"No, you're not," you realized out loud. "You need some care, or at least someone to talk to."

He looked up in surprise to stare at your face. "Talk..? Care..?" It was almost as if he was trying out the new latter word in his mouth for the first time, trying to uncover it's meaning.

"Yes, talking and caring..." You were sure you were clear about what you meant, but his confusion dismayed you. "You don know what those ARE, right..?"

"Oh yes, I do, I just..." He trailed off again, lost in thought once more.

You sighed. He really, REALLY needed someone to talk to. And maybe someone to patch him up. After all, he DID land pretty hard on his back. You blushed a little as your imagination led you into a scene where you were patching his bare back-

"No, I think I'm capable of handling myself."

"Huh?" You were jerked out of your...fantasy? Was THAT what that was?

"I think I can handle myself." His shaky voice had broken into your daydream.

"Are you sure? You landed on your back. Doesn't it hurt really-"

"It hurts a little, yes, but I should be fine. My shirt is just a little dirty with mud, is all." He nodded, seeming more to be talking to assure himself of his positive situation than you. He shrugged off your support and limped for his doorway, however, he turned back around when you gasped.

"Y-your back-! Your shirt-!"

"What? O-oh, that...it's…it's just a little blood, probably..."

"Please, let me help you. At least let me LOOK at your back. It IS my fault you fell!" The doubt of that last statement had yet to settle in, as you realized looking back on the situation. After all...WHY he jumped to help you was never an answered question.

He looked from his door to you, back to his door, then finally back to you, indecision obviously weighing on his mind. He finally nodded at you after moments that felt like days as you unlocked the door to your apartment to access your first aid kit.


	2. Another's Wounds

Healing Wishes Ch. 2

You unlocked the door to your small, clean apartment. Bathroom, kitchen, living room and bedroom: small cheap, and easy to keep tiny. It was...cozy.

"O-okay, so, I-I'll show you to the bathroom," You started, taking a turn through your bedroom, the only way to the restroom. "It's where the first Aid kit is and it's the easiest surface in there to clean...You'll have to sit on the edge of the tub for me to get a look at your back."

He nodded and followed instructions quickly, sitting on the several inches thick edge of the bathtub edge, although he was still shivering. His hair was still caked in mud, clogging his pretty chestnut hair. You opened the mirror cupboard where you kept the first aid kit and retrieved it.

"Okay...so...take off your shirt. Let's see the damage..." You were too worried about his injuries to be embarrassed to see this cute boy's bare back.

He swallowed nervously and seemed to be reluctant at first to take off his green T-shirt with bloodstains. What you saw made you nearly drop the kit and caused one hand to fly up to your mouth to cover your jaw that dropped in horror.

Welts had risen across his back from shoulder to opposite hip. His bruised skin was scratched and scraped on the upper back, looking fresh; those were probably from the fall. His left shoulder blade was covered in a square patch that was peeling a little at the edges. Toris was shivering nearly uncontrollably; almost as bad as you were.

"H-how did...what..?"

"I...I'm not at liberty...to say..." He barely managed to mumble. "Please, I wish I could say...but..." He trailed off in thought. "...Please just...do what you wanted...Patch me up..?"

You nodded, stunned. You grabbed some disinfectant and poured the liquid on his shuddering back and he twitched as it fizzed up and began to work to clean his banged-up back. He stared off into space while the cleansing fluid got to work on his back.

"I...I think I'm going to change this patch th-"

He sat up straight and turned his head to stare at you in total horror. "N-no!" He shouted, suddenly worried about...something!

You cringed at his sudden outburst. He can even yell? It didn't seem his vocal chords nor his person could handle the burden of raising his voice that high, especially after all the nervous shivering his had produced since you met him, or had even seen him for the first time.

"A-ah!" The simple noise could be your only response.

"!" He realized that the raised voice that had startled you had come from himself, and turned his head back around, ashamed...Maybe even...scared? His whole body seemed to be introverted and bunched up defensively. "I-I mean...please don't...That's really sensitive.."

"O...Okay..." You promised and honored the promise by not touching the patch with slightly curled edges. You grabbed the gauze and started to wrap his torso like you'd seen in the movies, but he yelped at the first touch. "D-did I hurt you?" Those wounds DID look easy to agitate...

He said nothing in a moment of awkward...confusion..? "N-no..." He finally replied, suspicious and astonished by some fact you couldn't pinpoint. Maybe the fact that you didn't hurt him..? But...that's ridiculous...

"Good...Now please, lift your arms so I can keep-"

Without even waiting for you to finish your sentence, he raised his hands above his head as if he weren't asked, but ordered. "Y-yes ma'am!"

"Erm..." Could be your only response. His spastic ways began to worry you. What if he wasn't sane? What if he was crazy..? Really, you didn't know too much about him...

As you began to bandage his beaten torso, paranoia started to fill and invade your mind. What if he's not such a nice person as you imagine him to be? What it's some sort of creep or sadist..? Or what if he's not a good person at all like you imagined him to be? That quiet disposition...It could be a cover for a psycho personality. What if he WAS crazy? And you could've just let a madman into yo-

"O-OW!" A sudden cry in pain jerked you from your paranoid drifting into your mind back to reality.

"Wha..?"

"Y-you bumped my shoulder..." A whimper escaped the mouth of your patient...A noise so quiet and pitiful that it made you ever regret doubting him...

"Oh! I-I'm sorry!" And it hurt that much more than the rest of his back? How bad was THAT wound..? "A-are you sure you don't want me to take a lo-"

"N-no, please...Just...don't look...finish, please..." His sentence trailed off as he became lost in thought. He certainly seems to daydream a lot. Almost as much as you...

Silence took both of you over in disbelief, confusion, and wonderment towards the other. Why couldn't he tell you about his wounds? Why the spastic concern? And why did he catch you as you fell off the bus, anyway..?

Only later did you question why you didn't call a hospital. Maybe you actually did like his presence, after being lonely for so long, and you didn't want to lose this chance to talk to someone. You wanted to help him, physically AND mentally. This much shivering and mumbling can only mean so many things...

And you hoped it wasn't insanity.


	3. A Slave's View

Healing Wishes Ch. 3

Lithuania's POV.

Earlier...

The bus always shook too much for your taste. Always. Rubbing your back against the seat and bumping against it only agitated the pain you were only just getting accustomed to. But there was no other way to get to work and home...And besides, sometimes you got to see her on the bus.

You could feel your cheeks turn pink when you thought of your neighbor. The thought as well as your blush quickly dissipated as you felt a large bump in the road that threw your back into the bus seat with a yelp of pain. The bus slowed after the familiar speed bump signaled that you were just at your stop.

You were really rather excited to get off the bus after this ride's bumps and bangs. So excited, you jumped up and even dashed for the exit. The ride had been hard on your injured shoulder, especially after what Ivan did to it today.

On the stairs, though, you felt a weight crash into you. The girl you had been thinking about moments ago was now in front of you, toppling down the stairs! Out of reflex, you dove after her and wrapped your arms around her for a better grip as you kicked off the stairs to spin with her, your goal being to get between her and the ground.

And you succeeded.

The impact knocked the wind out of the both of you, but the pain in your back nearly made you black out. All you could do was hold still and wait for the pain to subside so you could move again. You could only release some of the agony through groaning.

She, on the other hand, almost immediately scrambled to her feet. It made sense: she had somewhere to be, something to do...maybe even someone to meet. She was getting on the bus when you bumped into her, after all. You were so sure she was only going to leave you that the sound of the bus staying and her voice made you gasp in surprise.

"Ohmaigawsh, are you okay?"

Her voice was full of concern. And yet, it was somehow beautiful...You've never heard her talk before, and her voice was just...adorable...

"I...I am fine...I mean...I've been worse," you truthfully babbled to the wonderful girl you just saved. Your voice was shuddering in pain and even a touch of nervousness. That had been the closest you had been to a girl since elementary school...

The other reason for the shaking due to the fact that you realized you acted without her permission, without anyone's permission. She definitely isn't Ivan, but you were knew you were acting out, and that always meant lashes or some form of punishment. But...was she really that mean..? The tone of her voice didn't seem to be. Then again, neither does your boss's.

"Oh no-! Y-your eye! Was that-!" She broke off in horror, and even guilt. Was she actually worried that she hurt you? This might be a plow, no one would ever worry about you, not seriously. Maybe your performance, but not your physical body. But you owed her some kind assurance.

"No, no, it's not from you." You recalled the punch that gave it to you. Certianly, she didn't throw it. She may have caused it indirectly, as you had been daydreaming of meeting her while you slacked a little on your job. "Please, do not worry." You wished you could tell her where it came from, but Ivan Braginski would not be happy.

And an unhappy Ivan Braginski could lead to some serious damage to you and her.

The noise of the bus's rumbling engine had faded into the background behind your conversation, but it quickly came back to the foreground as the bus driver reminded you of it's presence with a loud clearing of his throat.

"You comin' on?" You knew the driver well after riding this bus so many years, and could detect a hard to find hint of worry in his gruff voice. He might've also sounded impatient, but that was merely because he didn't want to wait too long before getting on with his route and make others late. He didn't like being unable to do anything to help the two of you.

"N-no, I-I-I-!" She sounded worried and conflicted. Conflicted about what? She could just leave...

"If you say so." He'd been there a long time, anyway, he had to move, despite his concern. The rumble of the bus as he drove away finalized his non-commitment to this situation.

After he left, your neighbor held our her hand to help you up, a gesture you've only familiarized with your co-workers Ravis and Eduward. You took her hand and she helped you up, to your surprise.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Her quiet voice was almost soothing. It was sweet, yet filled with worry.

"I-I take much more if a beating daily..." You tried to re-assure her through your teeth. Your shoulder was burning, and you were coated with mud. You've definitely been worse. Somehow, she didn't seem relived.

You took a few steps forward, only to discover that you were putting more weight on your left leg than your right. A limp. How perfect...How were you going to work over the next week if you couldn't even WALK?

"N-no, let me help you, it's my fault you fell! The elevators are out for maintenance today. I don't want you to fall and hurt yourself worse!"

That sounded more like an order. And you could never ignore an order. Besides the order, you couldn't make it up three flights of stairs if you have to concentrate on both limping and ascending stairs while your shoulder pained you so much.

"O-okay miss," Your usual formality when you talk to Katyusha or Natalia, the only girls you really knew.

"M-my name is _."

A correction was necessary.

"Yes, Miss _."

She gently braced herself against you as a crutch as Ravis and Eduard had done before. You and her started your long trek to your rooms.

"And your name is..?" She sounded so gentle and genuinely curious to meet you...

"Toris, miss, my name is Toris."

"Toris...It's nice to meet you." You felt your cheeks turn slightly pink. It...it was? You were so glad that someone wished to meet you...that someone was happy to know you.

However, the long trip up the stairs quiet and awkward. You didn't know what to say. What did you talk about with not only someone you've never met before, but a woman..? You started to shiver. Today, more from nervousness than fear. But that soon changed as you realized you'd be in serious trouble.

How could you work for Ivan tomorrow with a limp and a giant scrape across your back. You couldn't walk correctly, let alone do the slave labor Ivan considered work. You could faintly hear _ say something in the background, in real life, but she had to repeat it to fully drag you out of your nightmare.

"Are you okay?" This question again?

"A-ah! Y-yes, I'm fine."

"No, you're not. You need someone to care for you, are at least have someone to talk to."

"Talk..? Care..?" Care for, not take care of? It was an odd way to use the word. You slowly realized she didn't mean do away with, but to help. Only Ravis, Eduard, and maybe Katyusha once or twice had ever offered that kind of assistance...

"Yes...Talking and Caring. You DO know what those are, right?"

Were you really that pathetic and lost-looking..?

"Oh, yes, I do, I'm just..." not used to the thought...

_ sighed. Or dear, you didn't upset her, did you? She didn't seem angry though...

And besides, it would be nice to get help, to have someone to talk to, to have a friend outside of your core of the other two slaves you work with. And a girl...Pretty, too- Wait, what were you thinking! You can't let someone in, someone so nice! _ doesn't want to hurt you, that's now been made obvious, so you COULDN'T let her get near. What if Ivan got a hold of her? You could never forgive yourself.

"No, I'm perfectly capable of handling myself." You finally decided out loud, despite your want to know this person who was so kind.

"Huh..?" She seemed to snap back to reality from something. A daydreamer..? That's...somewhat cute.

"I think I can handle myself." You were nearly crying, though. You didn't want to hurt her but you really wanted to know her.

"Are you sure? You landed on your back, does it-?"

"It hurts a little, yes," you replied, "but I should be fine. My back is only a little dirty with mud after all. You convinced yourself with a nod that she wouldn't ask to help again. You let go of the volunteer human crutch and limped back to your door, only to stop at the sound of her gasping.

"Y-your back-! Your shirt's...just...just a little blood."

"Wh-wha?" Blood? That fall shouldn't caused TOO much damage...could it really cause you to bleed? Or was another wound..?

"Please, let me help you at least look at your back. It IS my fault you fell!" She almost sounded desperate to help.

You looked from your door to her, You didn't want to endanger such a kind person, but you did want some help. You could never call a hospital for these wounds.

You finally decided your answer as you nodded towards her. Your heart sunk as you thought of the consequences as you entered her apartment.


	4. The Trauma of a Slave

Healing Wishes Ch. 4

You watched _ slip her key into it's lock on it's apartment door. There was a familiar click as she unlocked the door and allowed you into her home.

The small apartment was shaped very much like yours, however it was furnished rather differently: it felt fuller with a couch, easy chair, dinner table with three chairs, and coffee table spread about the living room and dining room who's distinction was simply a change from tiled floor to carpet.

The space was rather clean and pleasant. If only this was what your grubby apartment was truly like. With all the time you spent working, you were left too tired to go furniture shopping past picking up side-of-the-road couches abandoned by previous owners. If only you could spend time here. If only you could spend more time with _-

"Okay, s-so," her voice cut through your thoughts before you could check them. "I'll show you to the bathroom," she said rather quietly. You followed her through a bedroom that shared the same comfortable feeling as the rest of the house with clean, smooth sheets across the queen bed and a nightstand with an alarm clock resting upon it ticking away quietly. Just like your house, the only way into the restroom was through the bedroom.

The room was clean and white. You longed for time to clean up your own home, if you could even call it that, but the thought was quickly shoved away with the reminders f your shoulder, and the fact that you were in someone else's house.

"You'll need to sit backwards on the toilet lid for me to see your back." You trembled and stared at the wall, complying to the order. You heard the squeak of a cupboard opening and a shuffling as she, as you assumed, grabbed a first aid kit. You shuddered, imagining what her reactions to your battered body may be.

"Okay, so…take off your shirt. Let's see the damage." She sounded a little worried, but not nearly as fearful as you felt. Swallowing your nerves, you lifted the mucky shirt off your back and, although you attempted to brace yourself, you still flinched at her gasp of horror.

There had been no way to avoid this.

"H-how did…What..?" Her voice was hardly more than a whisper.

"I'm…I'm not at liberty to say." Your hesitated excuse had been mumbled many times to many people; you couldn't tell anyone about your wounds out of fear.

Fear that you'd trap them into Ivan's web of terror.

"P-please," you urged, wishing to leave her house as soon as possible, as you felt your presence only brought danger to her, "just patch me up if you're going to."

There was a worrying silence after your request before the sting of disinfectant blazed across your back.

It was odd, she wasn't asking you any more questions. Nothing about the wounds or how he got them, or anything of the sort. It confused you a little, since anyone who ever saw your injuries, although few, always questioned you. She might just be kind enough to not pry into your life, and not let curiosity-

"I'm going to change this patch-"

The bullet wounds! "No!" You had to stop her from seeing those you quickly realized as you turned your head back to look at her with your green eyes adding emphasis to the interjection you had just threw at her.

Your heart plunged into your stomach as she cringed and replied with a simple "A-ah!" You had scared her…and even tried to give her an order. You looked back at the wall, curling up a little around the tank in front of you. Surely that was worth a punishment.

"I-I mean, please don't, that's really sensitive," you mumbled. Although you tried to repair the terrible mistake you just made, you knew that this was one outburst too many. What would the punishment be?

"O-okay."

Okay? Okay? This was okay? You wouldn't receive a crack across the back with a whip or a cat' o' nine tails? Or a tongue-lashing in the slightest? Ivan wouldn't have let so many outbursts go unpunished.

You obviously kept forgetting that this wasn't Ivan.

You felt something touch your lower back and yelped, flinching from an expected lashing that didn't exist. You only realized it hadn't been painful until you remembered again, that you weren't in any danger.

"D-did I hurt you?"

Her concern was genuine, a treat you only received from Katyusha. After a moment, you were finally able to reply with a weak "N-no."

"Good, please, lift your arms a little so I-"

"Y-yes ma'am!" A chance to redeem yourself appeared, and, in case she was still thinking of ways to punish you, you hopped for it. Your arms went over your head posthaste as according to her orders.

A confused "Erm…" escaped her lips as she began to bandage you. It didn't seem like a bad noise. It was an odd sensation, however, feeling your torso being bandaged like that. She started at the bottom of your back and mummified you from the waist up.

Too high up, after a bit.

"O-ow!" You cried out in pain as she bumped a super-sensitive area of your back where bullets had been shakily fished out by Eduard.

"Wha-?" She seemed to break out of a trance.

"Y-you bumped my shoulder."

"O-oh, I'm sorry! Are you sure you don't want me to-"

"N-no please," you insisted, "don't look…Just…finish please…" You sentence drifted off from there. You realized that neither she nor anyone else could see your wound hidden under the bandage. There was just now way.

The next few minutes between you and _ were quiet as you pondered and toyed with the impossible thought of befriending your neighbor. You wished to become friends, you really did. You wanted to get to know her, to become real friends. Her voice soothed you, her eyes captivated you, and the touch of her hands on your back was-

No wait…You…You can't be thinking those things, you simply CAN'T. This was a worst-case scenario. This is why you never made contact with her, or ANY girls for that matter. But this also explained why you jumped off the bus stairs to catch her.

This was your worse fear. You were falling in love.

And no amount of denial could hide you from it.


	5. Supermarket

Healing Wishes Ch. 5

Over the next several days, you couldn't get thoughts of Toris to leave your mind. Since the event, as you called it, occurred, you hardly ever caught your neighbor leaving his apartment. And even if you did managed to catch a short glimpse of the man, he would take off running without a glance in your direction.

Somehow, for some strange reason you couldn't pinpoint, you were incredibly concerned for his well-being. But then again, the man was beaten and bruised, how could any sane human being not care for the safety of a person like him.

It was odd, though: your worries nearly always occupied your mind.

While you were eating, while you were sleeping, while you were at work, talking with friends, or even just walking, but especially in the dark limbo as you laid in bed and stared into nothing, allowing ideas to seep from your subconscious to the front of your brain, thoughts of Toris simply would not leave. Images of his bruised back and terrified face would take over your mind.

You would wonder how the man became so paranoid. You would wonder why he was always so jumpy and quick to apologize for faults that were not his. You wondered where he was, and what he was doing, where he was going.

Where he acquired the scratches and welts that littered his back.

Similar thoughts again ran rampant through your mind today as well, as you wandered through the local supermarket. For the thousandth time, you shook your head in a hopeless attempt to clear your mind of such horrid thoughts to focus on the simple task at hand: your grocery list.

Eggs, butter, milk, all the simple things you had to return to the store for every week or so. Like most anyone does. Like possibly Toris? What does he eat, anyway, and where does he get his food from? Possibly the same mar-

No, no, no, your first and main priority should be yourself, why let him occupy your thoughts once more, especially when you were trying to take care of your own person. Maybe some homemade sweets could take your mind of your neighbor, a cake or cookies…something that would require your attention to make, then enjoy properly.

Approaching the produce isle, you were inspecting a range of colors that would look lovely in an apple pie. What colors work best? Green, red, yellow..? Well, they're all the same color on the inside, though one might be sour, another sweet. Does it really matter in apple pie..?

"OOF!"

As you were contemplating the wonderment of different variety of apples and dreaming up a delicious pie before it was even baked, a weight slammed into you from the side, knocking your shopping basket from your hand and sending your groceries flying for a slit second before crashing into the floor, you soon following.

"H-hey, watch where you're going! You could've-" Your next words froze in your mouth as you realized who your accidental assailant was: Toris! His familiar disheveled appearance was more than enough to brighten your day, even under the odd circumstances.

The sudden impact had sent the brunette to the ground where he was sitting upright, applying pressure to the back of his head to dull pain he must've acquired when he fell backwards. He mumbled many nearly incoherent apologies before even glancing up to see your face.

When he finally did, horror filled his green orbs.

"_-_?" Your name was the first thing said after the stunned silence between the two of you.

"Toris? Oh my goodness, are you okay?" Toris was here, in front of you, right now, and was far more important to you than any spilled groceries could ever be. What if he had been injured once more, again from your fault of being in his way?

What if it was worse than before? He did seem to have injured his head…

"A-ah, yes, yes, I'm fine! Nothing to worry about!" Relief flooded your thoughts as for once, his reply sounded genuine. However, the short-lived comfort was dashed when you saw how hard he was shivering.

That shiver was from fear, not temperature, and you could see it in his eyes.

"I'm having trouble believing that." Your statement was blunt, it had to be. You couldn't let him lie to you any longer, and you simply had to speak to him. "Toris, I haven't talked to you for days, can we at least-"

"Miss _, I'm very, truly sorry, but I'm in a hurry…" The brunette quickly scrambled up to his feet. "I-I have to get something for lunch for Ivan, or else…" His voice trailed off and he forced himself to swallow fear and tried to look past you, apparently avoiding your gaze.

"Who's Ivan?" Your curiosity began to get the better of you. Another person he knew, could you learn more about the mystery that lived next door? And Toris seemed to be scared of this Ivan…why would he be scared..? These questions urged to escape your mind and struggled to become real as you got back up.

"N-no one you should know." Toris's quiet words, to your dismay, didn't provide a single answer, but only caused more questions to arise.

"Please, Toris, can't you and I at least talk? I'm worried about you." You had to make him understand. You really, truly wished to help him. It was the only thought on your mind at the moment, the only instinct:

To help him.

He quietly gasped at your last statement. You did too, once you realized how absolutely sincere your words had been. The both of you were at a total loss for words for several moments that dragged on, seeming to be like hours. He took a single step back.

"…No, you don't worry."

"What?"

"You don't worry about me." He seemed to be simply telling himself the lie. "You don't really want to concern yourself with me."

"I do, though, I really do!" What could you say to make him understand?

"You're lying!"

Lying. Not once in your life did a single word ever strike you so hard that it took you into silence, and even stole your breath for a moment. Lying? Why would you ever dare lie about something like that? Your face flushed red from anger and disbelief. How could he ever believe…

"Lying?" You had to say the word aloud. You were worried about him. That fact was nothing but true. You weren't just worried, though, either.

You wanted to protect him.

You wished from the bottom of your heart to protect this human being before you. You didn't want him to feel any more pain, physically or emotionally. It hurt you to see him hurt. It pained you to see him pained. You never again wanted him to feel pain, you never again wanted to see him crying or in danger. You cared for his life more than your own.

You loved him.

Wait…you…you what? Love? Where did that rouge thought come from? You tried to disprove the thought, but it made everything make sense. It explained why you were so concerned for his health and safety. It explained all your thoughts of him. It only made sense.

And yet, how did the thought only just now occur to you?

Your cheeks turned scarlet for a reason other than rage. Your overwhelming thoughts froze you where you stood, and it was only too late when you snapped back into reality from your limbo of emotions to see his figure no longer standing before you, but running away.

"Toris..? Toris? Toris!" Your voice rose from a faint whisper to a loud cry as you gave chase, running after him isle past isle in the supermarket to try to catch up to him. What would you do if you caught him? That question didn't matter, really. All you could to is try to keep him within your sights: You couldn't let him escape, now that you finally saw him again.

"Please, no! Don't come after me!" Your neighbor's sprint was faster than you had imagined. His leg had either healed incredibly fast, or he had an incredible tolerance for pain, as his limp had all but disappeared. No matter the reasoning, all that mattered was that he was faster than you. He was outrunning you. He was out the doors in a matter of seconds.

It took you well over a minute to reach the same goal.

You scanned the parking lot desperately, trying to find him again, but he had eluded you. Once again, he managed to escape a conversation with you, although this time, you were severely upset that he had managed to shake you off.

Why did he run? Where was he running to? When would you see him again?

Would you see him again?

You were left alone with your questions in the nearly empty parking lot, your groceries long forgotten.


	6. A Slave's Worst Fears

Healing Wishes Ch. 6

At the very least, you were good at running. Being fast, and powerful endurance were two qualities that were helpful and even life-saving in your line of work. It was a good thing that those were your best qualities.

However, right now was no time to reflect on your athletic capabilities. Unfortunately, you allowed yourself to remember the scene that had unfolded just a few minutes ago as you ran:

"Out? How can we be out?" Ravis's cry of worry and disbelief rang throughout the kitchen. You quickly plastered your hand over the young man's mouth and stared at the door to the kitchen in terror, waiting for a dark figure with a rusty pipe to emerge with a familiar twisted giggle.

It didn't.

You sighed in relief and removed your hand from the younger boy's usually rambling mouth. His lack of mental filter put all three of your lives in danger on a daily basis, but his small physical form and almost child-like appearance often excused the worst of his verbal mistakes.

"Yes," you solemnly replied to his previous outburst. "We are out of potatoes for the soup. I can't make Ivan's favorite soup for lunch…"

"Then we are ALL in trouble, Toris!" Eduward's troubled steely-blue eyes filled you with guilt. You and the taller light-blond haired man did the most physically challenging work for Ivan, though he could managed to talk you and him out of the worst. Through such graces, you and him had become rather close friends. He and you also shared the same punishments for each other's failures, so being bonded closely made you both work harder, to Ivan's amusement.

This mistake in the kitchen could only have punishment as a response in some form of physical pain. You somewhat deserved it for letting such an important stock run out. However, Eduard and even Latvia would be punished as well, and they did NOT deserve such treatment.

You had to do something.

Options, or at least sensible ones, were very limited. This meal is Ivan's favorite, and is served every other day for lunch. Skipping or changing this meal were completely out of the question, as it would make Ivan very touchy. And it would disappoint him. You, for the world, did not want to see Ivan disappointed again.

The last time he was disappointed, you put a bandage over a bullet wound you were lucky to survive.

You had an idea, though. A risky, risky idea, but an idea.

"I…I'm going to the store." You bit your lip as soon as the thought left your mouth.

"But leaving the premises during work is punishable by all SORTS of gruesome things, worse than a lashing or being thrown down the stairs, or anything else that could happen from skipping his favorite meal!" Latvia's mentioning of the punishment Ivan would give to the three of them only fueled your desire to get them out of trouble. "If you left, he would KILL you! Especially after being unable to do all of your work this week with your leg…"

"Latvia is right, Toris. He might be more paranoid than either of us, but he has a valid point. This is anything but smart or safe!" Eduard quickly joined Latvia's side.

"No, I have to go. I can't let the two of you suffer for my mistakes again."

"Toris, avoiding our punishment is in no way worth risking your life like this." Eduard was always the smartest and his reasoning had even saved you all from injury and some punishment before. But this time, you couldn't listen to reason. You were dead set on your plan.

"I'm sorry, Ravis, Eduard, but I have to go do this. And I won't allow myself to be caught escaping, either. I have people counting on me, people who care about me. I can't allow myself to be caught."

The two exchanged worried glances.

"Good bye, and I'll be back soon." You nodded once to your co-workers-no, your friends, in turn and quickly left the kitchen. They had no idea at the time that there was a third person that was motivating you to save your life and theirs. A single girl who inspired you to keep going and care for others.

_.

The sliding glass doors of the supermarket rested as a solid half-way point on the self-assigned task. You had nearly been caught escaping, but only by Katyusha, Ivan's big-hearted sister who only nearly saw you stumble over the barbed-wire fence that surrounded the compound. Although she was one of the few kind spirits you knew, the near encounter had sent your heart racing, and it had still yet to calm down entirely.

You dashed off to the produce section of the supermarket, almost crashing into several people. Politeness wasn't your top priority: getting what you needed and getting back to Ivan's hellhole was all that mattered. You couldn't let your fri-

"Oof!"

Your worries of Eduard and Ravis created a lapse in your attention, and you only realized that there had been a person in front of you as you barreled into them, sending the both of you crashing to the floor as a result. A crashing noise that could only be groceries could only add to the incentive to apologize, which you did in numerous different ways. You hadn't the guts to look at the one you ran into. As karma would only allow, you held your hand behind your head to cover the throbbing pain from your hitting the ground.

"H-hey, watch where you're going, you coulda-"

The voice was a woman's, you bumped into a woman. The voice was familiar, but your throbbing head wouldn't register who's voice it was as your headache clouded your memory.

Glancing up to identify her, your heart almost stopped.

The girl who patched you up, the woman you loved, sat before you, staring you in the face.

"_?" You truly hoped that this wasn't her. She couldn't be anywhere NEAR you at a time like this. She could get into some serious trouble.

"Toris? Oh goodness, are you okay?"

"A-ah, yes, yes, I'm fine! Nothing to worry about!" You felt your heart start to sink into your stomach. It was her. And you had to get away from her to keep her safe.

"I…I'm having trouble believing that." Oh no, not now, why now? Anything but this. Her own curiosity and concern may end up to be her undoing. And seeing such genuine feelings in her eyes made if painful to lie to her. You had no time for this! "Toris, I haven't talked to you in days, can't we-"

"Miss _, I'm very, truly sorry, but I am in a terrible hurry. I-I have to go get some potatoes for lunch or Ivan…" It killed you inside to cut her off, and you really only wished to spend time with her, to talk to her and be next to her, to be near her, but thoughts of Ivan poisoned your ideals, and you knew that if there was ever a time to talk to her, it wasn't now.

"Who's Ivan?" Your attention snapped back to her as she stood up.

"N-no one you should know." You looked away as you stood up, silently praying she would never have the displeasure to meet the cruel man.

"Toris, please, can't you and I at least talk?" You looked back at her as her tone had a hint of desperation within the concern. She was becoming emotional, her words dripping with feeling. No one had ever talked to him like that, not even Katyusha cared this deeply about him.

"I'm worried about you." Her last quieter words struck you harder than any blow you had ever received from Ivan. They were drenched in true, pure concern, and could only ever be meant for you. You finally felt with her words the pain she had been going through since meeting you, even if she never had contact with Ivan himself.

You quickly inhaled and took a step back to steady yourself as you finally grasped the gravity of the situation.

You loved _

And she loved you, too.


	7. A Slave's Reflection

Healing Wishes Ch.7

"No…" You simply couldn't believe this reality. You took a step back to try and escape this nightmare of an experience. The life you led, or more specifically your connection with Ivan, meant that you could never fall in love, that you would be a danger to anyone who got close to you.

They would only be put in danger.

"No?" Her confused echo only made you want to leave quicker.

"No, no no no!" You loved her, and the idea of her being hurt because of you was too much to bear, and you tried to shake reality away. Why didn't the girl of your dreams love you back?

"You're lying!" Her face flushed red and she went silent. She seemed lost in thought and contemplative as her face changed from angry to puzzled before it melted to an understanding yet disbelieving expression.

You seized the opportunity and ran, ran as fast as you could from her, hoping that she would be too lost in thought to follow. You had to get away from her, you would only put her in danger. The potatoes you came here for no longer mattered: All that mattered was putting distance between the two of you.

You heard her call your name as you ran.

"Please no, don't come after me!" If…if she seemed to love you, why wouldn't she let you go? Why was she chasing you? She would be killed if she followed you.

You dashed out of the supermarket, only to feel a sudden grip on your collar. You were pulled aside from the door and tried to look up at whoever had nabbed you, only to feel the familiar cold barrel of a gun pressed against the back of your neck.

"You have been very bad, da?" A sickeningly happy voice made your blood run cold. You nearly lost all feeling in your limbs and you felt sick to your stomach. All hope was lost.

"I-Ivan…" You mumbled his name as he began to drag you behind the supermarket with his iron grip. There was no way you could run from Ivan. He was strong, fast, and big. And he had a gun…

"That is correct! Wow, you can even recognize my voice without seeing my face!" His chuckle was far out of place. "You are really smart. Or you usually are. It makes me sad that you are in such big trouble."

You could hear the smile in his voice fade as he said the word "trouble". He sounded somewhat disappointed and melancholy, as if he saw an animal that was sick and wouldn't be around too much longer.

"Now, why did you have to go and run away?"

You couldn't answer, but why would you anyway? He wouldn't let you go, and you wouldn't give him the satisfaction of talking to him. He would kill you, no doubt about it, with your recent weak performance and then your running out of food…then your running yourself.

"Why didn't you ever talk to me, Toris? We could've been such great friends." He was already talking like you would be gone. "Ravis was always talking and having fun conversations, and Eddie liked to chit chat and make a good conversational partner. Why didn't you talk to me?"

The cold, uncaring metal of his pistol against the back of your neck seemed to sap any strength to talk out of you. In the very back of your mind, you wondered if Ivan really realized what he was doing. He always sounded so happy…that couldn't be normal. You wondered if he was any nicer to his sisters, and how Katyusha was doing.

"Toris, don't you like me? Can you hear me?" His voice began to raise. "Toris, why won't you talk to me?"

You remained silent, watching as your life passed before your eyes again, and quite possibly the final time. It happened many times; dealing with Ivan made death feel so immanent…Then his up front threats made reviewing your life easy. Although this time, reviewing your life, something was different.

You remembered _.

You remembered all the impacts she had on your life, although you'd only known her for a short time. How she'd given you hope and strength to survive your situation, and how she gave you the though that maybe, just maybe, there were other kind people in the world. Her beautiful hair, he lovely hands, her gentle touch. Everything you loved about her. Her curiosity. But the two things you remembered most were her eyes and her words.

Her eyes shone with sincerity towards every word she said. The deep sparkling pools you could almost drown in were simply beautiful. While her voice was charming, even when she was upset. But her words always meant what they said, and the kindness in her conversations always made you feel at home.

What would you have risked to hear her sweet voice once more.

"Toris?" There it was, deep within your mind, her lovely…No, this was outside of your mind. You looked over in the direction of her voice and saw her standing there, staring. "Toris!"

A loud bang echoed behind the supermarket as Ivan's gun fired.


	8. Finding the Slaveowner

Healing Wishes Ch.7.5

You had heard and followed a voice that was repeating Toris's name from behind the supermarket. Never would you have imagined that it would lead to the scene that laid before you. Or that you would ever see one like it outside of a movie.

Toris was laying before you on the ground, a small puddle of blood pooling around him. He seemed to have fallen at the feet of a tall man dressed in a long tan trench coat and a blue scarf. In his hand was a gun that was releasing a fresh trail of smoke.

"T…Toris..?" Everything about this incident before you seemed so real, from the gun to Toris to his pool of…of…Could this really be happening?

"Oh heavens to the Betsy!" The tall man's voice was the one that had been saying Toris's name so many times. "It seems that a poor stray kitty has wandered into the wrong alley." His thick Russian accent and dark image in now way fit the kind-sounding voice that was…was…

Was he threatening you life..? You looked about for a cat that he could've been talking about, but froze when you realized that he HAD been talking about you.

He held up his pistol. "I am sorry, miss, but you cannot be able to tell anyone about how Toris fell down. You will have to fall down, too." He pointed the gun directly at you.

You stared at the shining weapon in disbelief. Is this why Toris ran away from you? Could…could this be Ivan..? You were frozen in terror and confusion. A real gun…A real killer was standing in front of you…and you were going to be his next victim.

"Good bye, miss."

Preview of Ch.8:

Ivan had shot you. But you were alive, the pain in your shoulder proved it. Wait, your shoulder..? Had Ivan missed his target of your head, or even any vital area..?


	9. Confusion and Panic

Healing Wishes Ch. 8

Pain. For several moments, pain was the only thing describing your existence. Another single thought came to your mind. You felt ground. You were lying down. Slowly, more and more ideas began to swirl through your head. Two were the most important, though.

One: You were alive. The agony in your shoulder proved it.

Two: You had heard her voice and seen her face before you fell.

Wait, the agony in your shoulder? Not the back of your neck? That was where Ivan had been aiming. Did Ivan miss..? But he n-

"T…Toris..?"

Her voice again. She WAS here, and it's tone and pitch were music that nearly soothed away your shoulder's aching.

"Oh heavens to the Betsy!" Ivan. That was Ivan's playful voice. You were sure of it. Ivan was there. And so was she…Ivan was there and so was SHE! She was in such danger! "It seems that a poor stray cat has wandered into the wrong alley."

That tone…Although it was only slightly different, you could tell…Ivan was…no…Ivan was going to kill-

You attempted to throw yourself up to face him, but only rose an inch or so before falling back to the ground. It was nearly impossible to think through the pain in your shoulder. It hurt so much…

But she was in danger!

"I am sorry miss, but you cannot tell anyone about how Toris fell down. You'll have to fall down, too."

No! You couldn't bear to let this happen, to let anything like this to happen. It was your fault she was in danger, and you could never live with yourself, you could never dream of any kind of freedom if she was taken away from this world. You felt your pulse quicken with an energy you've never known, from a source you never knew existed.

"Good bye, miss."

"STOP!" You shouted, startling everyone, even yourself a bit as you pushed yourself up to your feet and charged at Ivan, emotions fueling your every move, forcing you to forget your pain. You grabbed the firearm he had pointed at her.

"What?" Ivan's confused face stared down at you. "But I was thinking that I shot you dead. Y-you are not so dead!"

"Toris!" Her voice gave you more energy, provoking what could only be your adrenaline.

"_! Get out of here!" You called out, hoping more than anything that she'd listen to you now, that she'd see the danger she was in, that she would run far, far away.

Ivan's clenched your arm in one large hand and began to squeeze, hoping that crushing your arm would free his hand and pistol so he could finish cleaning up this mess. "You are letting go now." His horrifically serious purple eyes met your green ones.

You cried in pain as his grip only tightened. You couldn't let him have his weapon, however painful it was to keep it away. You couldn't even let the possibility of her getting shot to exist. You couldn't leave her life in such danger. She was too kind and generous to leave this world, to even be involved in your life.

However, you had promised yourself that you would never let harm come to her if you had even the chance to stop it. You had been living under this oath since you first met her. You weren't breaking it now.

The sudden feeling of another pair of hands surprised both you AND Ivan as she began her attempt to wrestle the dangerous weapon away from the Russian man. With you keeping his other hand busy, layered upon the shock of her sudden intervention and strength, Ivan lost control of his pistol.

To your astonishment, she took the gun and pointed it at the monster that was still crushing your arm.

You knew it. This was him, this was the man that had abused, and caused Toris, the man you loved, so much pain, physically as well as mentally.

Rage and hatred nearly blurred your vision as you leapt into the fray and wrestled this Ivan's gun from his terrible, dirty hands. You hadn't owned a gun before, nor have you ever shot one, but you understood that the safety must've been turned off if he had been going to shoot you, and years of playing with fake weapons taught you how to cock the weapon. All that was left was to pull the tri-

BANG

You could only stare in disbelief as Ivan released your arm and fell to the ground from the shock of the bullet, barely able to hold his hand to his side. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion: Ivan's falling with his face distorted in pain, her dropping the gun and putting her hands to her mouth as she realized what she had actually done, to it's metallic clattering to the ground.

She seemed to be as stunned as you felt.

Then the pain in your shoulder once again existed as your rush and thrill of the moment quickly died when the moment of need ceased to exist. You fell to the ground, still losing blood. Everything quickly went dark after that.


	10. The Hospital

Healing Wishes Ch.10

You sat alone in the quiet waiting room in the Emergence Room, twiddling your thumbs and feeling sick. The events that had transpired since only an hour or so ago seemed so far away, although they had just happened, and seemed so surreal. It was almost nothing more than a bad dream, it was just so unreal…

After you…you SHOT Ivan…You shot a man, you may have killed a man…After you shot the monster, a dirty blond store clerk from the supermarket had run out to investigate the noises you, Toris, and Ivan had caused only to find the two bleeding men and gun lying at your feet.

His panic, in retrospect, was a completely acceptable and normal reaction.

Only after you explained the men's situation did he calm down enough to think to call an ambulance. His blue eyes hidden behind his glasses of a darker cerulean shade and conversation were enough to keep you from panicking a the scene of the scuffle.

But now, in the hospital, he was gone. You were alone.

By now, you had already skimmed through any magazine at your disposal, all failing to catch your interest or distract you from your situation, and you knew you had no chance to strike up a conversation since there was no one to talk to. Besides, what would you have to talk about? The only thing you could think about was the possible murder of a man you had committed and the probable death of your neighbor…The entire situation almost made you physically sick to your stomach.

After what had seemed like a century of sitting, being unable to do nothing, a nurse stepped out into the lobby. You jumped up, your desperate eyes meeting the nurse's warmer green ones. She had something of a smile on her face.

"Are you Toris's friend, _?"

"YES! Is he okay!" You hurried towards the long-haired brunette nurse with Toris now taking over your thoughts again, his health the only one occupying your mind.

"Yes, he is okay." Your heart leapt up into your chest from where it had been sinking in your stomach. "He wasn't too terribly injured for a gunshot wound, but he is very tired."

"C-can I see him!" Toris was breathing, he wasn't disappearing from your life, he wasn't dying. He was alive!

"Yes. As a matter of fact, he was asking to see you. He seems to care about you. I'll lead you to his room."

She led you down the hall past several similar doors to reach Toris's room. You gazed into his sterile space to see your neighbor staring up at the blank ceiling. He glanced over at the door as he heard you enter.

"Toris! You're alright!" Tears of joy streamed down your cheeks as you ran forth and hugged him. A single quiet moan of pain from his throat was enough to make you quickly step back from him before you hurt him further. But your spirits were too high to be dampened by anything, even being unable to hug the poor brunette.

"…I…I'm still…hurting…But I'm so glad…you're here…" He spoke through his blush a little choppily, and his nervous chuckle was enough to put a smile back on your lips and laughter in your lungs.

He was alive, he was okay…he would be fine.

"Toris, are you feeling okay? Ar…Are…" You couldn't finish your sentence, as Toris's finger now covered your mouth, signaling that he had something to say. It was fine; you were speechless, anyway.

"_…I…I'm so glad I met you…Thank you…for all you've done for me. It might not've seemed like too much…at the time, anyway…but…" He smiled wider. "Your kindess…since the day you patched me up…Your compassion, your healing wishes have kept me going…Your face, your beautiful, beautiful face…They inspired me to fight, to keep everyone I care about safe…"

You felt your tears run down your cheeks as the nurse left with a giggle and closed the door behind her.

"_…I…I love you."

"Toris…I love you too." You had no fancy speech planned, like he did. You had no other words to say. All you needed to do was convey one message.

And your first kiss completed it.


	11. A Slave's Freedom

Healing Wishes Ch. 11

A small quiet giggle from the doorway pulled your attention away from the injured man you sat at hospital bedside to and focused it at the doorway. You took all of a half moment to grasp who was standing there, in the room with you and Toris, standing there, with an innocent smile you knew dripped with malice, standing there, his large body blocking the doorway. He was leaning on crutches, staring at you with orchid eyes that would forever be burned into your memory.

"Aww, how cute is it being that you are together here." Another giggle only put you more on edge.

"I-Ivan…" Toris's small, scared voice broke your heart. "Wh-what do y-you want?"

"I have come to talk with the young lady." Stunned, you could only answer after a moment of silence that seemed to stretch out for a lifetime.

"M-me?" What did he want with you..? Why did he have to be alive, you questioned fate, disappointment and fear stopping your realization that would happen later that you wouldn't be arrested for murder, at the very least.

"Yes, you, the pretty young lady. I need to have something discussed." His innocent face and response still didn't give you any answers or even clues to any of your questions.

You swallowed nervously, then gave your situation some thought: In the hospital, you were safe. Doctors roamed the hallways and could hear you if you screamed. If you did get hurt, you were already in a place of medical care. Besides, even though it WAS Ivan, what harm could he really do if he were to attack you while he was on those crutches.

Besides, you couldn't leave. Not only was Ivan physically blocking you, but you knew that you couldn't leave Toris alone with the monster, even if you did manage to escape.

"What is it you want, Ivan?" You defensively responded with your own inquiry.

"I am wanting to talk about the future. I am considering dropping all charges against you for shooting me."

You stared, stunned into silence by his words, your mouth slightly agape as your brain had more important thoughts than keeping your mouth closed. Drop all charges..? You wouldn't be arrested for shooting him? This was too good to be true. FAR too good to be true.

There had to be a catch.

"Why..?" You didn't want to sound ungrateful, but there were still so many things you had to know.

"Because I am going to be in big trouble, I know it. I need you to help keep me out of trouble. Toris's injuries are made by me, but you probably knew that already. I would like for you to keep that a secret. I am not wanting to be in such big trouble."

Toris gasped quietly. It didn't seem like he could say anything in this situation. Keep quiet about Toris? You couldn't possibly! He's been through so much pain, so much suffering, that you couldn't just sacrifice it to be free of some criminal charges. Prison wouldn't be nearly as bad a-

"If she is quiet about my injuries, then she is safe?"

Toris's voice startled both you and Ivan, derailing your train of thought. You looked back into his determined face in pure disbelief. What was he doing!?

"Yes, that is the deal. Are we agreeing?"

"On one condition." His bravery was amazing. He was making demands, as well? "You must never meddle in _'s life ever again. You can't touch her, you can't call her, you can't meet her anywhere. Does that sound fair?"

He hardly seemed like the meek man who was crouched behind a supermarket, waiting to be shot. He seemed more like the man who jumped off the bus to save you, or the man who physically stopped an insane creature from shooting you while you were too scared to move.

"Toris, you can't just-!" You only began your sentence before you were cut off by a look he shot you. His face simply said trust me without words leaving his closed mouth, before he stared back at the tall man in the doorway. He seemed just as stunned as you felt from this sudden burst of bravery that seemed to only hit this man in bursts.

"Does that sound fair?" He repeated, snapping Ivan out of a trance.

"I…Yes, that sounds fair to me. That was easy! So we have a deal?" A sickeningly sweet smile crept across his face. "That sounds like we do! I am very glad that we got to work together, Toris. And it was nice to meet you, miss." He smiled once more at you before leaving. He had sounded to truthful, like he actually meant the words, and he even sounded happy as he waved and spoke a Russian farewell, leaving you to wonder what was wrong with the creature's mind.

None of what had just happened even seemed real, and all this deciding about your life had gone on with hardly a word out of your mouth. You turned to stare at Toris, only to be confused by the smile spreading itself across his tired face as he shivered in bed.

"I'm so happy that you are free! You are safe, and he can't touch you anymore. It is such a relief…"

"…But what about you, Toris? Won't he go after you again, now?" His well-being now pushed all other thoughts out of your head. You almost wanted to go back to Ivan and beg for the brunette's safety.

"Well…Ivan promised not to meddle in your life again, right?"

"…Yes, but I don't see…" You silenced yourself to hear his reasoning.

"I…I was thinking that if he bothers the…the man you love, then he meddles in your life, correct..?"

You smiled. You did love Toris, and he loved you too. "…That makes sense. He couldn't go after my…my boyfriend if he tried." Your cheeks now were pink at the thought, as well.

"Then I will be safe. And Eduard and Ravis will be rescued, as well!" He smiled and even laughed, he looked so happy.

But confusion crossed your face. Eduard? Ravis? You had heard Ivan mention the names, but… You still had no idea who they were.

"…Who..?"

"My two…erm…Co-workers…" His laugh died a little.

"How will they be safe, then?"

"Well, I agreed to meek my past, how I got my injuries a secret. That much I promised. But never once did I mention exploiting Ivan, Ravis, or Eduard's lives. Neither did he. They had to place in this deal. He must've been so flustered to leave out such important details."

You stood and stared at your proud neighbor in confusion. In your head you reviewed the conversation, and you were right. Only you and Toris were mentioned in this deal…Never once did friends or other names appear. A smile once again burst across your face as you hugged the bedridden man.

"Oh, Toris, you sly genius!" You loosened your tight hug after a squeak of pain escaped his mouth.

"I-I wouldn't call myself a genius…" His nervous smile and modesty only made him more adorable. "I just…I used to imagine this moment, the day I'd barter my freedom from Ivan. Although…I never actually believed things would work out the way they did."

Tears first welled up in your eyes, then his, as realization hit you. You and he were free, free from Ivan's horrors. The truth of the moment finally hit you.

You wouldn't be bothered by that monster ever again.


	12. Epilogue

Healing Wishes Ch.12

The blond man sitting across from you listened intently as you recounted the entire incident, reciting the entire tale as you had done only once or twice before. You had his undivided attention.

"I couldn't believe we were free, neither of us could. I was so happy…I can't believe how long ago it all happened, it still feels like yesterday." And it did, despite so much time passing.

"I see. What happened to Ivan then?" He sat up a little and raised a thick eyebrow as he asked his simple question. He was always so straight to the point.

"We told the police everything we knew about Ravis and Eduard once Toris was out of the hospital. Ivan got arrested for…I don't know how many felonies, but he pleaded insanity. He was permanently admitted into a psychiatric ward, but it's hundreds of miles away. Toris and I, we couldn't just live in the same town anymore, so much had happened…" You enjoyed these conversations, you liked talking about what happened after the incident. It made you feel better, knowing it closed. And so did your therapist, as he nodded again.

"Understandable. Now, I have only two more questions. First, how has your life with Toris been since the incident?" He watched you as you answered, looking for physical signs of…well, anything. It was his job, after all.

"Just about perfect, actually, especially since we've both been getting therapy. He and I have both gotten jobs, and we managed to save up enough money to buy a new house. Ravis and Eduard have sent us some money from their insurance claims as well. It's been…eight years, now. Eight years…" You trailed off lost in thought again. How time flies, it still seemed like only yesterday you moved so far away. You've been so happy for a long time.

Your thoughts were interrupted by a chuckle from your therapist that focused your attention back to the conversation and your appointment.

"That's wonderful. I'm so glad the two of you are living so happily together. One last question…When is the wedding?" He smiled warmly.

You beamed again, staring down at the silver band on your finger. "December. We're both so excited. Well, I guess most people are for their weddings." You laughed a little.

"Indeed. I'm so glad that everything is looking so up for you, _. It won't be much longer until my services aren't needed any longer. And Toris has been getting along so well."

"It's amazing, just…amazing how life has turned around for both of us." Looking back, it was amazing how something so terrifying, how events so serious and bad could turn into the happiest moments of your life. You looked down at your ring again and caught the time on your watch and gasped. "Oh goodness, it's already been an hour..? But I just got here!"

"It appears our appointment is over." He smiled again, and got up. You followed suit. "It was a pleasure talking with you again, miss _, as it always is."

"And it's been a pleasure talking to you." You shook his hand, and exchanged final farewells for the week as you left his office, then the building to see Toris waiting for you in the parking lot. He waved from the car, then pulled up to pick you up.

"How was your talk with Arthur today?" He smiled as you entered the car.

"As nice as you said yours was yesterday," You answered with a kiss to his cheek.

He smiled again. "So, _, are you ready for tonight?"

"Oh, no, I have to change before we go to dinner." You laughed a little. You and him had planned this date for a week, and you were excited to go to a fancy restaurant with him. You know, you were excited to be anywhere with him. He shared the same feeling, actually.

But that's normal for any lovebirds. Especially since your Healing Wishes had been granted.

The End


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